Profile: Stipe Miocic (9-0) has been impressive in his first three UFC bouts, defeating Shane del Rosario via second-round TKO at UFC 146 on May 26, Phil De Fries by first-round knockout at UFC on FUEL TV 1 on February 15 and Joey Beltran via unanimous decision at UFC 136 last October 8 in his debut. The 29-year-old Croatian earned Knockout of the Night honors with the win over De Fries, and he is a former Golden Gloves boxing champion and wrestled collegiately at Cleveland State University. Miocic previously competed in the North American Allied Fight Series, going 5-0 and defeating Bobby Brents for the heavyweight title last June 4 by leg kick submission. Miocic’s first five wins were all decided by KO/TKO in the first or second round.

UFC Heavyweight Contender Stefan Struve (+205)

Profile: Stefan Struve (24-5) has one of the most impressive overall records in the heavyweight division, and he is 8-3 in the UFC with all three losses coming against solid opponents. The 6-foot-11 Dutch fighter has won his last three bouts over Lavar Johnson (armbar submission), Dave Herman (TKO) and Pat Barry (triangle armbar submission) since getting knocked out by Travis Browne at UFC 130 nearly one year ago. Struve has also suffered losses to Roy Nelson and Junior dos Santos in the UFC, both by TKO, and only one of his career fights has gone to the third round. In his last five bouts, he is 4-1 with three of the wins coming by KO/TKO and the other one earning Submission of the Night against Barry.

Opening UFC on FUEL TV 5 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas has installed Miocic as the -275 favorite (bet $275 to win $100) while Struve opened as a +205 underdog (bet $100 to win $205) according to the MMA odds. This is a very intriguing matchup and was discussed as a potential upcoming matchup following both of their impressive wins at UFC 146. Miocic is a rising star in the UFC and looks to be a legit contender for the heavyweight title in the near future. His only real weakness right now is a lack of experience against top-level opponents in the division, but that would continue to change if he can keep registering dominant wins. Struve presents Miocic with an interesting challenge due to his size and ability to use it to his advantage on the ground. Still, Miocic possesses incredible knockout power and should be able to avoid that type of potential submission scenario because of his strength. Struve is a fearless fighter who could surprise in this spot, especially across the pond, so Miocic will need to be cautious and guard against a possible upset bid.

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